GUESTS OF KING OF GREECE

Southland Times, Issue 24447, 29 May 1941, Page 4

GUESTS OF KING OF GREECE

NEW ZEALAND ESCORT PARTY TEA PARTY IN EGYPT (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) CAIRO, May 27. In a picturesque rose garden adjoining his new residence in Egypt, King George of the Hellenes yesterday received as his guests the New Zealanders who had formed his escort during his thrilling escape across the mountains of Crete to the coast and safety. His Majesty showed no trace of the ordeal through which he so recently passed and his personal charm and obvious interest in each and every member of the party made the event all the more refreshing and enjoyable. His very attitude seemed to speak of hope for the future both of Greece and the united cause of the Allies. With him to receive his New Zealand guests were Prince George of Greece and Princess Marie, Princess _ Catherine, Prince Peter, Lady Palairet, the Greek Prime Minister, M. Tsouderos, Colonel D. N. Levidis, C.V.0., master of ceremonies to the King, Wing-Com-mander Kinatos, A.D.C., and several ladies-in-waiting. The princesses and ladies-in-waiting acted as table hostesses to the men, laughing and chatting with them about their experiences and impressions. It was indeed a memorable day for the New Zealanders, who were soon made to feel perfectly at home. The men, under the command of their leader, Lieutenant W. H. Ryan, were looking very fit and bronzed and seemed none the worse for their adventure. To them this informal afternoon tea party with royalty was a great event. One of them remarked: “I am afraid I shall wake up suddenly and find it is all a dream.”

NEW ZEALANDERS PRAISED At the same table as the King, Prince Peter, Prince George and Princess Marie were Colonel J. S. Blunt, who had directed the royal entourage on the journey, and Lieutenant Ryan. His Majesty shook hands with every member of the party and graciously consented to being photographed with the men. During a conversation with the representative of the New Zealand Of-fi-.ial News Service, his Majesty spoke in simple but glowing terms of the manner in which the New Zealanders had carried out their duty.

“I have greatly admired their bravery, hard.'ness and discipline,” he said. “They are as hard as nails. Yes, they are very hard.” He added that the New Zealanders while in Greece had endeared themselves J the Greek people, who admired their gallantry and unassuming manner. The King displayed keen interest in New Zealand and asked many question; about that far away Dominion of the British Empire. Prince Peter, who had been a great favourite with the boys during the trip, also expressed admiration for the bearing of the New Zealanders. “The New Zealand troops,” he said, “are brave, strong, cool, well disciplined and very quiet.” At the conclusion of the party, at which ices, confections and English beer ere served, the boys, who presented quite a smart appearance in tin hats, shirts and shorts, lined up and rent the peaceful Egyptian air with three hearty New Zealand cheers for the King. His Majesty was visibly delighted and made a gracious reply.

MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE

(Official News Service) CAIRO, May 27.

Neither pleased nor sorry. These were the sentiments expressed by a member of the party of New Zealanders from the Auckland Battalion who acted as bodyguard to the King of Greece when asked how he felt about the return from Crete.

“As we stood on the beach waiting for a caique to take us to a waiting destroyer, I think our thoughts were mainly for the rest of the chaps we left behind. If it had been possible we would liked to have returned to our battalion and seen the thing through. Still we had to complete our job.” To all the men the journey over the Cretan mountains has been memorable —an experience they will never forget. One man said he would not mind doing it again. There had been forced hardships aplenty, but the fortitude of the King and other members of the party was a wonderful inspiration to the men.

Clad in multifarious uniforms, some in battledress, others in shirts and shorts, others again in a mixture of both with a jersey thrown in here and there, they must have presented a somewhat strange sight. They certainly aroused the suspicion of Greek soldiers, who fired on them from the hillside, mistaking them for German parachutists in disguise. Luckily none of the bullets found its mark, although one soldier said: “I heard a couple of them screaming past my ear. They were a bit too close to be comfortable.”